Treason
by Ptitange99
Summary: What if Booth didn't show up after Wannabe in the Weeds ? What if people kept on thinking he was dead ? And what if he had been chosen for a Secret Mission that could endanger one of the person he loves the most ?
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, so this is my first english fic about Bones. Just so you know, I firstly wrote this fic in french (which is my motherlanguage) and it was quite successful, so I decided maybe I should give the english's version a shot !  
(Btw, for the French speaking ones, don't hesitate to read it in french, it's called "**Trahison**").  
I'm already sorry for any mistakes that could have gotten in there, I'm not what we could call a perfect english speaker, so please indulge me !  
I really think you should give this fic a try, and I agree that the first chapters are quite boring, but action, betrayal, angst and stuff are coming soon !

I REALLY want to thank my Beta **Lulu0814** for her patience and the work she did on this ... Yeah ... that's her ... That's the chick that wrote "**Pie**" :D I really invite you to read her fic for those who didn't, 'cauz it really is a piece of art, and it deserves to be read ...

Alright, back to my fic ... I'm a little nervous about this, I mean I've written tons of fics in french, but this is so different, I don't know how you people are gonna like it, and I must say I'm kind of nervous ! But enough about me ...

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bones (even though I'd really like to)  
**Spoiler**: This fic begins at the end of 3x14 "The Wannabe in the Weeds" ... so if you haven't watched it yet, well ... don't read it :) except if you want your fun to be spoiled ^^  
**Summary**: What if Booth didn't show up after Wannabe in the Weeds ? What if people kept on thinking he was dead ? And what if he had been chosen for a Secret Mission that could endanger one of the person he loves the most ?

Alright folks, I think this is it ... just one word: **ENJOY  
**  
(I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, the others are way longer ...)

* * *

**TREASON  
**

**_Chapter 1_**

He could hear a beeping sound in the distance. Without opening his eyes, he could swear the room he was in was brightly lit. A smell of disinfectant messed with his nostrils.  
_Where am I?  
_And then, all the events came rushing back: the karaoke, Brennan singing "_Girls just wanna have fun_", Pam screaming his name, a gunshot, Brennan on top of him begging him not to leave her.  
_I've been shot._

It hadn't been difficult for Special Agent Seeley Booth to find out where he was right now: a hospital.  
He slowly opened his eyelids, a thing he immediately regretted. His eyes weren't used to the light anymore. His humorous side immediately came rushing in as he wondered if he had joined the dark side. He laughed at his own joke, thinking that if Bones had been there she would have made him understand that she didn't know what he meant.

_Bones ... where the hell is she anyway?_

He tried again to regain his vision and after blinking more than twenty times, his eyes finally adapted to the light. He had been right when he thought he was laying in a hospital bed; an IV was pumping morphine into his body.  
He smiled ... who says hospital says pudding !!!

« Agent Booth ? I see you're awake. I'm your nurse, Catherine. Do you need something ? »  
« My nurse, eh … »

The nurse smiled and blushed slightly.  
"Well if you could go and get my doctor, that would be nice."  
"Of course, sir."

Booth didn't have to wait long before a short grey haired man came into his view.

"Agent Booth, I'm doctor McGain. I'm here to inform you about your condition. "

" Well, I'm listening … "

" First, do you know what day we are ? "

" Mhh … yes I think the twenty-fourth of March! "

" Of which year? "

" 2008? "

"That's right, Agent Booth. You haven't been unconscious for too long. The paramedics were there four minutes after you were shot and we immediately operated you. The bullet lodged itself a little bit above your heart and didn't damage any important organs. We removed it easily, but just so you know, you were lucky."

"Good ... thanks."

" It's okay, that's the reason why we do this job, » the man said, smiling. "Do you have any other questions ?"

" Yeah … do you have pudding in this hospital ? "

" … You should ask the nurse. You just need to push this button, and she'll come as fast as she can. Well, if you don't have any other questions ..."

"No, thanks doctor."

" Oh, by the way, a man would like to see you, he told me it's important … should I let him in? "

Booth nodded, wondering who this man could be.

* * *

**I KNOWWWWWWWWW it's pretty short, I'm really sorry, but if you guys are nice to me and hit the small button just right here, then I might update and give you something way longer ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here is chapter 2.  
Thank you so much for the people who took the time to review the first chapter, it means a lot to me :) ... and tanks to those who simply read it !!!  
**  
**Ilovemclife:** sorry about the delay, I'm a very slow person so you'll have to be patient with me :D Thank you btw !!!  
**aigneadh**: THX SO MUCH !!! I love encouraging reviews like that !!! You go girl ;) So are you living in Canada ? I heard people from Quebec were speaking a almost perfect English !!! Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon !!!  
**anatats89**: I'll continue don't worry, I've already written 12 chapters in French, I "just" have to translate them ... thanks for the support ;) I hope you'll like this one too !  
**crazycamera**: well thank you missy (now I really hope you're a girl :D) ... I hope this one will please you as well !  
**Junesse:** don't do like you don't know who he is :D you read it already ... you curious girl ? Haha, just check the french version out, you lucky french speaker !!! Thx nelle, you're the best

Alright, so in this chapter, you'll learn about who this man is, and what he wants ... not very angsty, but as I promised you, the angst is gonna come soon. I KNOW this chapter is not longer than the first one, but the good stuff is coming soon, just stick with me here !!!

ONCE AGAIN, THANKS SO MUCH TO MY BETA **Lulu0814** that did a very good job out of my messy translation ! Thanks girl !!! You know you're stuck with me now, I won't let you go, you're perfect !!!

**ENJOY**

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

A man of a certain age approached Booth's door. He stopped at the threshold of the door, slightly smirking.

« You're more solid than a truck, Booth ! »  
« Yes, Sir ! »  
« How are you feeling ? »

With a tired step, Cullen approached Booth's bed, stopping right in front of the agent. Booth tried to sit up, since lying down in front of his boss seemed unbearably embarrassing, but instead he grimaced as the pain inflicted by his wound grew sharper.  
He gave up and sank back down on the bed while his injured shoulder kept throbbing.

« Spare yourself, Booth ! »  
« Yes Sir! »  
« Would you just stop calling me Sir ... there is only the two of us here.»  
« Yes Si … Yeah, right. Permission to talk ? »

The FBI director nodded.

« How are the squints doing ? »  
« Good, Booth … »

Seeley Booth couldn't help hearing a slight hesitation in his boss's voice.

« Can I ask you why nobody's here, impatiently waiting for me to wake up ? »  
« Because everybody thinks you're dead, Agent Booth. »

His heart skipped a beat as he stared wide-eyed at his boss.

« I beg your pardon ? »  
« That's the reason I'm here Booth. We have a mission for you … a TOP SECRET mission.»  
« But I'm in a hospital … I mean if you want me to track down that pretty nurse there that wouldn't be a prob ... »  
« BOOTH ! »

Booth's smile disappeared in a second as his gaze found its way down to the ground.

« I'm sorry, Sir ! »  
« You're the best candidate Booth … you're supposed to be dead, which leads us to believe we won't have any problem disguising you as someone else.»

Booth nodded, but the idea of pretending to be dead didn't excite him at all. Parker needed his father, Rebecca (if she learned he had lied to her) would certainly refuse him the right to see his son again ... and then there was Bones ! She had been abandoned so many times before … he knew it would most certainly break her heart … and his too.  
Even though he had always sucked at math, he could easily calculate that this situation would bring him more problems than advantages. But Booth was an FBI agent, and he had sworn to "_support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic ..." _Hell, he still knew the pledge by heart. He would do anything for his country even if it meant he had to die trying.

« What does my mission involve ? »

Cullen gave him a sealed file displaying big red letters stamped on it … TOP SECRET.

« Take time to rest Booth, and then read the file. If you have any questions, an email address has been created for you. That's the only way you'll be able to join me. Everything is in the file, Agent. When you're better, Agents Clark and Barington will escort you to a safe place where you'll be briefed on your mission. Don't try to get in contact with anybody. Nobody has to know you're still alive, that could lead you to your death and your interlocutor's too. I hope it's clear ! »  
« Yes Sir ! »  
« Good … I'm glad you're still alive.»

Cullen quickly gave him the file and turned on his heel to disappear as fast as he had appeared. Booth turned his face towards the file and saw a lonely pudding cup next to it.  
He sighed …

_How will I be able to do that … how long until I can see my family again ... my Bones? …_

He drowned his sad thoughts in his pudding.

* * *

_**I KNOW IT WAS SHOOOOOOOOOORT, Please excuse me and stay with me here !!! I promis next chapter will be here soon (no ... not SO soon).  
Just don't hesistate to REVIEW ... reviews make me work harder, stronger and FASTER (I love Kanye West :D)  
Please review, don't make me beg :D and prove me English speaking readers are better than French ones :D  
That's the new battle ...  
Okay, for the moment, the French were better for chapter 1 ... so 1-0 for them ...  
Who's gonna win the second match ?**_


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, thank you so much for your comments, it means a lot to me.

Alright ... I'm just realizing I'm not very eloquent today, which can easily be explained by the hangover that's consumming me right now !  
So sorry for the lame replies :D

-** Mrs Trellis**: Uh, come on, your french is perfect, I'm sure you don't even need google traduction ! Un TOUT grand merci pour ton si gentil commentaire ... Characters are pretty hard to write, well I think it's the hardest thing to do when you write a fic and you know the characters from a show, because you "know" them, and if what you're reading isn't close to them, well people just won't keep on reading the fic. That's why I really appreciate you comment, it means a lot ;)  
- **Silverstar366**: don't be so sad, see ... I'm updating :) Thank u very much for the comment though !!!  
-** Mesuri**: thank you ... here's more :D (sorry, I can't seem to find anything else to say)  
- **isrlno**: well thanks, I promise I won't doubt myself anymore then ! I know those chapters are short, but they'll be longer around chapter 5 !  
- **Mickel**: that's for me to know and you to read !!!  
- **Lori976**; here you go missy ! Thank !  
- **Bones3567**: thank you very much !!! It's good to know even people that speak english from the begining can appreciate fics writen by people that speak another langage.  
- **aigneadh**: haha, I'm sure Belgium has to do for now, I actually have the same problem :D Belgian powaaaa'. No, truthfully I really think your french is good, and it's well known, you guys speak better French than we do Dutch. English it is for me :) and for you certainly too ! Thx for your comment, I hope to read something from you soon !  
- **Ilovemclife**: THANKS, that's a really sweet review ! I love the reference to pudding to, I just couldn't let it go. I tried, because I thought it was too funy for the situation, but I finally re-wrote it cause I couldn't let it pass :D  
- **TempeJill:** well, in this fic, she's not quite gonna kill him cause the situation won't let her, but she'll be like more pissed than in yours. But we can't really compare cause the situation is gonna be really really different ! Thanks for your review, and congratulation for your fic ! I loved it !  
- **bb4ever**: hey Debi (I love the name), I'm glad to know I've got you hooked, it's always a good thing to know for authors. For the contact thing, you shouldn't be chocked now, cause in later chapters, worst is gonna be done ... like really worse, so if you think chapter 2 is not right, you shouldn't go on with the fic. Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, au contraire, I'd like you to trust me for the next chapters ;) I hope to see you hooked more (i don't know if this is english :D) soon !!!

Anyway, I still thank **Lulu0814** for the amazing job she's doing !** YOU'RE THE BEST**  
And here you go ...

**ENJOY**  


* * *

**Chapter 3**

_**3 months later – Jefferson Institute**_

Doctor Temperance Brennan sighed as she looked at the blank page her computer screen was displaying. It had been 3 months, and she had lost all of her inspiration, all of her joy, and her smile.  
She turned to the door as she saw Angela poking her head into her office. She smiled slightly, obviously trying to reassure her best friend.

"Sweetie ..."

"What do you want, Angela?" she said, trying to sound bored.

"Just seeing how you were doing."

"I'm fine Ange ..."

" Bren, I know you, you are my best friend. I've known for years that you are a terrible actress, and that you are trying to hide how terrible you feel, but let me tell you something. It's not gonna work. Those feelings you're repressing, one day they will reappear full force, and that day ..."

Seeing her friend's eyes welling up with tears, Angela stopped her sentence short. Since Booth had died, 3 months ago, Brennan's vulnerability had increased dramatically. Angela couldn't count how many times she'd caught her friend shutting herself into her office to deal alone with her sadness, how many times Bren was unfocussed while working, and so on. All these behaviors weren't like her.  
Angela was completely lost, trying as best as she could to deal with a woman who didn't want to accept any help.

Since Booth was gone, the lab was working in slow motion. The first two weeks, no cases were assigned to them. Brennan had insisted on continuing her association with the FBI, which had partnered her with a new agent: Special Agent Wallen. He was a man who, if she hadn't known Booth, could have been a good friend. He was a little bit younger than Booth, around thirty, blond hair and brown eyes. He never tried to talk to her about what happened to her last partner. He had been trained by Booth. He had also guessed that talking wasn't Brennan's cup of tea, for which he was grateful. He had never liked sharing his emotions anyway.

The first case they had resolved had not been celebrated. They both went back home and Bren, as soon as her door was closed, broke down in tears. She cried so hard she fell asleep on the ground.

Zach had been arrested a week after Booth's death. He apparently was the apprentice of a cannibalistic serial killer named Gormagon. This news shook the entire lab, especially Brennan who not only lost her partner but also her grad student… and not just any grad student … Zach.

In two months, 4 victims had been discovered. They had uncovered that at least 3 of those had been murdered by the same man. Two of them had been killed execution style, and the last one had been drowned, hand and feet bound. The squints were going through a lot of difficulties to catch the murderer. They were wondering if the killer could be more than one person since it would explain this difficulty. But there was worse. Since the investigation on the second murder, the killer(s) had been sending threats to the team, more precisely to Doctor Brennan.  
When Brennan shook those memories away, she saw that Angela had been replaced by Wallen.

"Dr. Brennan, we have a new victim … I transferred the body here directly. It is already downstairs."

"Good ..."

She descended the stairs with a slow pace that contrasted completely with her old walk. She joined Camille and Hodgins next to the body.

"What do you have?"

"Well, good morning Dr. Brennan, I didn't know you were there." Hodgins hastened to say.

Bones paid no attention to the entomologist and simply examined the remains.

"Male, between 35 and 40 years, Caucasian. Have you yet determined cause of death ?"

"I'm not an expert with bones, but I think it's pretty clear ... bullet to the back of the skull. He did it again !" Camille explained.

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions … but you're entirely right, his M.O. was a bullet to the head which should have brought a quick and almost painless death. Good ... tell the new grad to have a closer look and to bring his conclusions to my office, I've got things to do!"

She didn't wait for an answer and went directly into her office. She sat down, took her face in her hands and sighed. Why didn't she enjoy doing her job anymore? This was all irrational. How could someone's death change a person that way ?

_"Don't fool yourself ... he only was a partner,"_ she said out loud, trying to reassure herself.

She switched on her computer and went to check her emails.

**YOU'VE GOT 9 UNREAD EMAILS.**

7 of them were from her editor … apparently she had crossed the deadline for the presentation of her new book … one was an ad for Viagra « _How did that get here ?_ » and what disturbed her the most was the last one, with no sender. Her curiosity grew and she opened it.

* * *

**_Here you go pals, I hope you liked it ...  
_**

**_Next chapter, you'll know what was in the mail, and in the 5th, we'll go back to Booth and see what he's been doing for 3months ..._**


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the delay, I got caught up with my exams.  
To excuse myself, I joined chapter 4 and 5 in one, so it might be a little bit longer than usual !

_**BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT LEFT A REVIEW,** it really means a lot to me !!!  
_

**_- Somnium1:_** thanks, I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter !!!  
**_- aigneadh: _**thx girl :) Well if you want to read the french version, I just posted a new angsty chapter ! I love it when people tell me they can definitely see that in their head. It means that my writing isn't that bad finally :D  
- _**bb4evr**_: well ... that's a big question here cause I haven't finished the story in the french version neither ... I think it'll be, otherwise I would have marked this story with a Character death, but I still don't really know where I'm going with this :) I'll tell you when I'll know more ;) Thankx for the review !!!  
- _**miriah22**_: it's not exactly going to be something good in the mail :) Sorry about that, but I'm more of a angst person :D I hope you'll like it neverthehless !  
- _**sakurita-kiut**_: OMG :D girl i'm so sorry, I hope you haven't been turning in circles for 2 weeks, I'd really feel bad about it :D haha, well this is a two chapters chapter (if I make any sense ...) so you'll have a little bit to go on with! Thanks for the review, I already like you :D (eventhough your pseudo is hard to write :D)  
- ...: if you recognize yourself, thanks a lot :D  
- _**Yin7**_: sorry, it wasn't as soon as I preconised it would, but here is the next chapter anyway :)  
- _**Junesse**_: girl I love you, but you already know that :D thanks for the support !!!

Okay, here you go ...  
ENJOY

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Her heart stopped beating for two seconds and she suddenly felt nauseous. There, in front of her eyes, was a new message from the killer. Nothing new, except the fact that this time, he wasn't adressing the team, he was directly talking to her.

_Dear Dr. Brennan,  
I think I've been courteous enough__ by __asking you three times, if my memory serves me rig__h__t__,__ to stop the investigation you and your team are working on. You have to know I completely respect what you do, but don't get me wrong, I prefer being free rather than being behind bars. That is the reason why I beg you one more time to drop the investigation and destroy ALL the evidence you might have collected.  
It would be such a waste to deprive the world of a beautiful woman__ such__ as you, don't you think?  
However, __be aware__ that I won't hesitate a moment to put a bullet between your pretty eyes, Dr. Brennan__._  
_  
_  
Always that same name. Of course they had searched for all the Damon Ronteses in the country, finding 6: one in D.C., and a second one in Maine. The first one was a 4 years old kid and to complete the irony of the situation, the second's hands had been amputated.

Kind regards,  
Damon Rontes

Every time a cadaver was discovered, the team was doing all they could to gather proofs, but unfortunately, the killer(s) was/were too meticulous. Not a single piece of evidence had been found in a three months period.  
_I don't even know why he worries so much ... we aren't even close to catching him ..._

She briefly wondered how he had gotten her email address ... was there a mole in the lab ? She stopped her thought there, not wanting to think about Zach and his betrayal.

Many grad students had followed one another since Zach, but none of them had succeeded on staying for more than a single case. Either they were fired by Cam, or they decided to be transferred to other labs themselves.

Brennan was interrupted in her thinking by the arrival of her new assistant: Josh Rhine, a brilliant 25 years old student. He actually was the only one that had Zach's potential: he was talented, smart and according to Cam and Angie, he was funny.

"Dr. Brennan?"  
"Yes Josh?"  
"I'm done with what you asked me to do ..."  
"You were fast!"  
" Yes, well, it was actually pretty easy. As you presumed, the victim was killed by a bullet that entered the skull from behind. It was a 33mm calibre, just like the others and the precision of the impact also seems to point to Rontes. Well, I call him like that, but that's not even his name! "  
"That the reason why we gave him a nickname, Josh."  
"Yeah, right ... Angela succeeded on identifying the victim, but I suppose she'll explain that to you in person."  
"Okay, thanks ! "  
"You're welcome Dr. Brennan. "

He went out as fast as he got in, and Brennan was one more time alone with her thoughs.

_Should I mention that mail to the others? Maybe to Agent Wallen ... he should know what to do ... No, it won't change anything ... we've already been threatened and he did nothing. That's the way the FBI deals with menaces, and the way we work through pressure: we'll do everything we can. Still, I might talk about that with Camille, she might want to reinforce the security inside the lab.  
_  
And so she did. She switched off her computer and headed for Cam's office. Her boss saw her approaching, and waved for her to come in.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Brennan?"  
"I felt like informing you that we received another threat from Rontes. I wanted to make sure you reinforced security."  
"Yes, my orders have been successfully followed. But how did you receive it? Did he send a package? »  
"No … he … he sent me an email. "  
"Uhm … I suppose it's useless to ask you how he got your email address?»  
"That would be correct. "  
"Alright, I'm going to call the FBI and request one of their geeks to make an effort to trace him. We might have a lead ..."  
"That's doubtful, but I don't see why we shouldn't attempt it."  
"Yes … why not …"her boss said, sighing a little.

* * *

It had been now a little over two months ago that Booth successfully infiltrated the terrorist organisation. For over 80 days, he kept wondering when he'd see his son again, his son but also that woman, that wonderful woman he had learned to love: Dr. Temperance Brennan. **  
**  
In two months, he had been forced to remove any traces of his anterior life: no more pictures of Parker in his wallet, no more Royal Diner's client card, no more credit card by the name of Seeley Booth ... in fact, Seeley Booth himself had entirely disappeared. This change didn't just take its toll on his wallet; his new house (if he could call it HIS house) was full of pictures of people he didn't know, well theoretically! There was a picture of him and two other men who supposedly represented him and his two brothers hunting, another one of him shaking hands with a Chinese Businessman, a frame of his Georges Town University Business certificate, where he apparently graduated with honors.

_With honors ... me?!? Who are they kidding?_

Yeah, the FBI was really talented in dissimulation and in realistic recreations.  
But definitely less in the department of feelings.

_How could I have been so selfish, letting the people I love believe I'm dead? How is my son doing ? How is he overcoming his dad's death ? And the squints … and Bones … has another agent been assigned to the Jeffersonian? How could I do that to her, when I was already so lucky to have her trust? I'm such an idiot._

But what Seeley Booth was sure of, was the fact that what he was doing was for the good of his nation, his country, and that a lot of people were counting on him to lead his mission to success. _  
_  
He tried to push his dark thoughts aside and stepped out of the shower. He put on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, looked at his reflection in the mirror, and trying to persuade himself, kept repeating: "_I'm doing the right thing, I'm doing the right thing, I'm doing the right thing ..."_

Moderately convinced, he put on his leather jacket, grabbed a cup of coffee and went out of his West Virginia located apartment. He jumped in his dark blue Ford and passed his hand through his hair.  
He once again scanned the message he had received:

**« New schedule, come at 9 am. ****Don't forget the rules: Be wary. D.R. »**

D.R. …Damon Rontes, that stupid name HE had taken ... he could at least exhibit his Caucasian type instead of pointing to the Latinos ... RontES...

_Stupid son of a bitch_!

It was his fault Booth was here, his fault the people he loved weren't part of his life anymore. Well... temporarily anyway.  
Booth leaned his head back on his seat and closed his eyes. It was barely eight, he had time.

"**Don't forget the rules: Be wary**. " …How could he forget, he was an FBI agent for god's sake. But it was important; he had to be careful not to be spotted before the end of this mission: human lives were at stake.  
- Check if you're followed.  
- Do your best to look normal.  
- Take small streets and try to lose anyone who could follow you.  
He knew his job, no need to tell him how to do it.

He opened his eyes, checked if his black balaclava and his gun were still in the glove box and turned on his car.

_"I'm comin' ... Matt Taylor is coming ..."_

* * *

_**Here you go guys :)  
I have one more thing to tell you if you're hooked : you'd better buy a pacemaker cauz the next chapters kinda shocked a lot of French readers ...  
I think I already had like 5 death threats and 6 people telling me they did a heart attack :D**_  
_**Okay be kind and review ;)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Alright guys, here's chapter 5, I really hope you'll like it !  
Once more, a BIG THX to my Beta and of course to all of you that reviewed !!! You are GREAT !  
I don't have time to thank you seperately, exams are killing me right now, so I'll just leave it to the chapter ...  
PS: If someone has a question don't hesitate to ask, I know some of you didn't understand some important points, so please ask !_**

ENJOY

Oh ... and here is beginning the angst :D fasten your seat belts !!!  
  
Chapter 5

Booth arrived much earlier than he expected. He came into the fitted out warehouse and walked to the office. He stopped in front of the door, trying to push aside the growing desire to strangle his "co-workers".

_Come on Booth, you just need to wait until he makes one mistake ... one mistake and he'll rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life! The faster this ends, the faster I'll be back with the people I love._

He could easily see Parker's face lighting up when he returned. He closed his eyes and a second later, he was inside.

"Ah Matt!" it was Clark, one of Damon's men. _  
_"Hey dude, want some coffee?" Luis, another of Damon's men.  
"No thanks, I've already had some ..."

The organisation he succeeded in infiltrating included dozens of men, some staying inside the warehouse, some working outside, doing various ugly jobs. Booth was used to seeing Luis and Clark now, both being Rontes' so-called "best men". Booth's job was simple, but disgusting for a man like him.

The organisation was well-known for kidnapping important people and asking huge ransoms to the victim's families. If it wasn't paid in time, or if it wasn't paid at all, they had to torture the abducted until they obtained their money or else... they were killed!  
Since Booth had arrived, three "guests" came out alive. The first one was an incredible scientist. The ransom had almost been immediately paid. The second one had been a business woman who had to wait two days in this hell before her release, and the last one was an old millionaire. His family had refused to pay his ransom, which meant they had to beat him up a little and cut out his left ear before his wife miraculously found her credit cards.

Booth only had a rudimentary role. He was the cameraman. He simply filmed the ransom demands before giving the tapes to Damon. As easy as it seemed, it made him physically sick to tape those poor people. It was breaking his heart. Numerous times, he thought about quickly killing those men and going back home, but Cullen had explained a thousand times that they had to catch Rontes in action ... well basically, they had to catch him seconds before he killed someone. That was a dangerous game, but they really needed to get him in action.

" Matt, grab your camera, we've got someone to visit. Rontes is waiting for us downstairs!"

Booth did as he was told and followed both men down the stairs. They arrived in a long corridor, strewn with "cells". As announced, Damon was guarding a closed door.

Who had they taken this time? He shook with rage but managed to keep his fury in check as he stopped near the others.

"Well gentlemen, I hope you all have your equipment. Matt, how much film do you still have on the tape?"  
"Maybe ten minutes..."  
"It should be enough... do you have a spare one, just in case?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Good. Put on your hoods. Nobody talks until my say, alright?"

They all nodded and they came into the cell. It was a small room, maybe 9 square feet, no light nor windows. Just a chair and a small wooden table. A man was lying, spread on the dirty floor of the room. The humidity weighed heavily in the air, and the slight smell of decomposition hanging in the cell irritated Booth's nostrils.  
He reluctantly pushed the ON button of his camera ... the show was beginning.

Rontes came closer to the man and forcefully kicked his stomach. The man woke up in a jolt and snapped his eyes wide open... in a somewhat too exaggerated manner.

"Mr. Logan, would you please stand?"

The man executed himself. Damon took his gun out of his belt, aiming it towards the man's skull. He then stared at the camera and began his speech. After explaining his terms, he hit the victim's face and he crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

_Bastard, this poor man did nothing to you ! I'll kill you Rontes ... I swear I will …_

They went out of the room and Booth took off his mask, furious.

"Why did you hit him? His hands were bound!"  
"We are changing our ways Matt, the crueller we appear, the quicker we'll be taken seriously and the faster they will pay the ransoms. Now, if you don't agree with me, I think we have a conflict ... what do you think?"

Booth thought twice before smiling and answering as naturally as he possibly could.

"Yeah ... you're right ... we have to teach those assholes what life's about. Plus he was really just pathetic, I probably would have hit him myself!"

Rontes smiled and gently patted his shoulder.

"Well, you might still have a chance... alright guys, just put your hoods on, we have one more person to visit."

One more person ? He didn't know they had kidnapped two people. He squared his jaw and quickly put his balaclava on.

"Put your fresh tape in, we'll need it! This one is a little special."  
"Who is he ?"  
"It's a doctor ... you'll see ! "

They walked to another cell and opened the door. When Damon switched on the light, Booth saw a small form curled up on the floor in the corner of the cell with the hands bound in front of her. It was a woman. He saw her raise her face and blink her eyes, trying desperately to see something through the sudden bright light.

When she straightened against the wall Booth thought his heart was going to stop.  
Damon's voice confirmed his suspicions.

"How do you like your cell, Dr. Brennan?"

* * *

_**Here you go :)  
I hope you'll stick with me here and I strongly encourage people with heart disease to stop reading from now :D  
You know the drill, just push on the small button and make my day ! **_


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys I'm so sorry about the delay, I've just been awfully busy with the exams and stuff, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about :)  
Well I'm finally done, and so happy to update this chapter.  
Alright, I firstly want to thank my beta for the awsome work she's done on this chapter, and on the whole fic actually :) thanks **Lulu0814** !!!

So here is next chapter,  
ENJOY

**Chapter 6  
**

It was still early when Dr. Temperance Brennan came home. They hadn't found any new clues on Rontes victim's body and she had to admit it discouraged her a little.  
She looked for her keys in her purse and led herself home. She switched on her apartment's lights and tiredly laid her purse and jacket on a chair. She absently walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. She let herself fall in the couch and allowed herself relax.

_What kind of nightmare do I live in? Why did Booth leave ... he promised he'd always be there for me, he promised he would never leave me ... he promised._

She couldn't help remembering his face the day she asked him if he would ever betray her. She couldn't help remembering his reassuring expression when he had affirmed to her he would never do something like that.

She sighed, got up and went to her bedroom. She needed to change clothes and maybe she could think about something else. Way to be rational. She put on a pair of jeans and a grey tank, took off her shoes and went back to the couch. She liked feeling the carpet under her bare feet. She grabbed her lonely beer and was suddenly surprised to see her front door slightly open. She frowned and took a few steps toward it. She was almost certain she had closed it. She glanced at the corridor … nobody.  
She sighed again, decided to be more careful next time and shut the door. Before she could turn, she felt a strong arm grab her waist and a rag approaching her face dangerously.

_Chloroform… do something Brennan._

She struggled as hard as she could and succeeded in crushing his foot. She heard him scream through his ski mask.

_And yet … I'm barefooted._

She forcefully pushed him backwards and ran in the direction of her bedroom, damn well knowing that she was just running to do something. There was only one exit and he was right next to it. She was terrified, the rational forensic anthropologist was far gone.

_Think Bren, think … what would Booth do now ?_

After a quick assessment she knew …

_The phone, grab the phone !  
_  
But the thinking became harder … _Where the hell did I put it?  
_  
She jumped when a man's voice broke her silent reflection.  
**  
**"Is this what you're looking for?" he said, holding up her phone.

She said nothing. All she could possibly have said would have seemed stupid and futile anyway. She just stood, right in front of him... as far away as possible. **  
**  
"Oh come on Dr. Brennan, the cat got your tongue?"

She glared at him, attempting to appear as aggressive and furious as she could. Her hands were now forming fists and she was trying her best to stop the shivers that his voice caused.  
She nearly jumped when he took a step forward.

" What do you want ? "

"They told me you were smarter than that you know ... aren't you the great Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist working at the Jeffersonian institute, best-selling writer of numerous novels ..."

She wasn't listening to him anymore, she had to find a way to get out. Of course, she knew it was one of Rontes' men, sent out to kill or kidnap her. She discreetly looked left and right, trying to find a possible weapon.

"Dr. Brennan, I'm talking to you ... the least you could do would be to listen!"

She let her eyes rise to his face and her heart nearly stopped when she saw him holding a gun. She couldn't help staring at it.

"I promise I won't use it if you just follow my directions. What do you say?"

She quickly weighted the pros and cons. He wasn't going to kill her otherwise it would already be done. If she followed him, she still had a chance. She could let him approach her and then bring him down.

She looked into his eyes and slowly nodded.

" Good girl … put that on ! ", he said, throwing her cuffs.

_Shit … this is going to be harder than I thought._

She did as she was told. The smile she saw through his balaclava made her sick. He approached her slowly.

"If I had known it would be this easy ... I would have sent one of my men."

_Rontes ... god. Brennan it's now or never. Just put him down and then he'll spend the rest of his life behind bars._

When he stopped in front of her, showing her his arrogant smile, she hit him as hard as she could, bringing the gun down and elbowing him in the chest. He fell down and she quickly straddled him, keeping him immobilized. "You stupid whore I'm gonn… "he couldn't finish his sentence, feeling her small fist in his stomach. She tried her best to rend him unconscious but the cuffs weren't making things easier. She quickly understood she was going to lose when he grabbed her wrist, looked at her with a slight hesitation and hit her square in the jaw. The impact made her fall backward and he took the opportunity to get up. He rubbed the dust off of his sweater and looked down at the woman lying on the ground, the hands shielding her face.

"We could have done it the easy way Dr. Brennan, it was your choice. Now get up!"

With some difficulty, she succeeded to stand, helping herself with the nearest wall. Being bound wasn't really an advantage in those kinds of situations. She saw him crouch and pick up the gun left on the ground.

_Well done Brennan, you just made things worse!_

He approached her. He looked furious. She tried to back down but quickly realized she couldn't pass through the wall blocking her way. He grabbed her by the throat and pushed her harder against the wall. She involuntarily looked straight into his eyes, her own eyes wide and scared, and she could see fury, anger... desire ?

"Please don't kill me ….", god how she hated hearing herself beg and sob.

"Say goodbye, Dr. Brennan !"

He raised his arm and the gun hit the woman's temple.

* * *

_Where am I ? __Why can't I see anything? Oh god, my head hurts so much … what happened ?  
_  
It didn't take her long to remember. When she raised her hand to touch her tender head, she noticed she was still cuffed: Rontes ...  
She tried to see through the darkness, but it was too dim. She then inched to the nearest corner and leaned on it. She sighed and closed her eyes.

_If only you were here, Booth..._

* * *

**And here you go ... I really hope you liked it ! Next chapter will be very interesting, I'm sure you guys will like it !**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey guys, so sorry for the long delay. But you know how holidays go !  
So here is chapter 7.  
A BIG THX to my beta, who is still doing this amazing job with my fics ! Thank you so much Lulu0814  
_  
_Chapter 7  
_  
**Brennan cracked open an eye. Still locked in pure darkness, the pounding in her head wouldn't let her be. She was still lying on something hard and cold. _How long have I been here? _She let herself wonder when she heard her stomach groan, gurgling loudly as if it was attempting to digest something that she knew wasn't there.  
Her jaw was throbbing and she didn't waste time thinking about why.  
_Rontes ... bastard!_  
She leaned her head against the wall and started to think about her situation.  
_How am I going to get out of here? Maybe Booth could ..._  
Her hope fade immediately ... Booth was dead, he couldn't save her this time. She would have to do it herself.

Her ordeal did not last long. She heard footsteps coming her way and male voices laughing  
How many were there? Three, four? She couldn't be sure. Her heart began to pound furiously in her chest and stress overtook her almost instantaneously.

The door flashed open and the light, too intense since her eyes became accustomed to darkness, blinded her for a moment. She blinked furiously, trying to distinguish her surroundings, and turned her head towards the intruders.

She quickly took in the situation ... they were four. All males and all wearing a mask.  
_Cowards !_  
_  
_« How do you like your cell, Dr. Brennan ? »

Rontes … the arrogant bastard … if only she could …  
_Stay calm, Brennan, you don't stand a chance !_

She glared at him with contempt and took in the other men. Two of them were standing at both extremities of the room, smugly looking at her. Standing in the background was the last one, holding a camera …

_Perfect, a demand for ransom! _

Rontes advanced on her threateningly.

« When will you understand that when I'm asking you a question, I'm waiting for an answer, Dr. Brennan? »

She raised her head, looked up at him for a moment, then resigned herself and let her eyes drop on her knees.

Booth was panicked... no, he had gone beyond that a while ago... he was now helpless and livid with what was happening in front of him. Whatever he did, he was losing. He could pounce on Rontes and knock him out with his camera, then do the same to the two others, but his chances of success were almost nonexistent. Moreover, he would jeopardize the success of his mission… He needed tangible proof against Rontes; otherwise he would pull through the accusations. This SOB had to get the death sentence. But on the other hand, he couldn't just let her there … His brain was working full speed but no solution seemed to emerge.  
He just stood there, petrified, happy to be hidden by a mask but unable to ignore the fact he hadn't felt so bad in his entire life.

_Bones, please don't do this, don't try and pick up a fight with him! Do what he asks, I promise I'll find a way …_  
But no sound went out of his mouth ...

Rontes's threatening form was now in front of her, but she sat there stoically.

"Get up, Dr. Brennan."

She didn't move, the shape of her knee seeming to interest her more than ever.  
Unable to stand it anymore, Rontes grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the nearest wall.

« When I ask you to do something, you DO it! Do you understand ?"

Her eyes looked automatically toward his face. Panic-stricken, she felt her head nod.

« DO YOU UNDERSTAND ? »

As she began to feel the lack of oxygen, her hands desperately grabbed Rontes's, desperately trying to make him let go. She felt her eyes water and focussed on not letting any tears fall. She opened her mouth to answer him and felt ashamed when she only heard herself whisper a weak "yes".  
Rontes loosed his grip considerably, allowing her to breathe even though he didn't let her go.

_You son of a bitch, I swear I'll fucking kill you when all of this will be done. Nobody touches my Bones, nobody hurts her …  
_  
« Well, that's better ! Matt, are you ready ? »

Booth nodded, not trusting himself to talk, afraid that she might recognize his voice.

« Okay … here we go! »

Booth reluctantly pushed on the start button and orientated his camera toward Rontes and his partner.

Brennan wasn't struggling anymore. After all, she didn't have a choice here. She avoided to look at the camera and listened to Rontes's little speech.

« Dear members of the Jeffersonian Institute, I have the huge honour to announce you that we have something that belongs to you ... Indeed, we have the great pleasure of being gratified by Dr. Temperance Brennan's presence here for a few days ... or more. I guess the length of her stay here will depend on you. If you care about her and her pretty little face, then may I kindly suggest you to drop the case you're working on, and of course, to destroy all the evidence you have in it. If, au contraire, you're happy to see that Temperance here is taking some days off... then ...

To stress the finality of his sentence, he tightened his grip on her throat. Panicked, Brennan couldn't do anything but struggle, desperately trying to make him loose his grip.  
He smiled and forcefully threw her on the ground.

She landed relatively well but was so busy trying to catch her breath that she didn't see him approach her, nor did she see his foot collide with her stomach. She collapsed on the ground with a weak growl and put herself in a foetal position.

Rontes stared at her and went on with his speech.

"... Her stay here might last a little bit longer and become slightly more painful. I beg you to use your common sense ... I give you 48 hours. All information will be sent with this tape. Take the right decision for Temperance's sake! »

He looked at Booth who understood it was the time to stop recording. He obeyed with shaking hands.

There were no words to describe what Booth was feeling. A tear made its way down his cheek and he silently blessed the inventor of the ski mask. He was broken from the inside. All he wanted to do was to take her in his arms and make all the pain go away, bring her home and take care of her. He promised himself that as soon as he'd have the occasion, he'll make Rontes pay for this. He'll avenge Bones, he'd tell her how he felt about her, they'd live happy together and they'd ...  
Yeah you bet Seeley ... first she'd have to forgive you for what you're doin' to her. You promised her you'd never betray her ... and that's exactly what you're doin'.

His sad thoughts were cut short by Rontes's voice. « It was a pleasure, Dr. Brennan. »

The three men exited the room leaving Booth frozen. He couldn't let his eyes leave the small slumped woman gasping for breath. She was his Bones and he was so proud of her, so proud of her for being so strong.

"Matt, what the hell are you doin'?' screamed Clark.

Booth cast a last glance at her and dashed out of the cell. Luis locked the door behind him and they both joined the two other men.

"You see Matt, with firmness you can put everybody on their knees. Next time, I'll let you do it, you'll show me what you're capable of!"  
« Yes boss … »

He felt his throat tear up with those words and his heart broke in two.

" Anyway, I wouldn't mind taking care of her … »

_Shut the hell up Clark or I'll fuckin' kill you ! Don't you dare touch her !_

Booth forced himself to laugh with his « mates ». No laugh had ever felt so forced. _  
_  
"48 hours and she's yours", sniggered Rontes.  
_  
48 hours and you're dead, _thought Booth.

* * *

Here you go pals. Let me know what you think ;) R&R please ! Don't make me beg !


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, I'm so so so so so so so so so so sorry about the delay, I've just been crazily busy those days, so I really hope you'll forgive my lack of updates.  
Anyway, here is chapter 8, I really hope you'll like it ... I promise next chapter will be better though, it's one of my favourite ! I'll try to update this fic WAY faster if I can, I really will !  
Anyway, as always, I want to thank my Beta Lulu0814 for her excellent job and her litterature skills and then I'd like to thank you all that cared to review ! It's always such a joy to see your reviews, it really is !**

Miriah22: you can't really hope that, now can you :D Where would be the fun right ? Haha, be patient, you'll see it by yourself in like 1 or 2 chapters, I promise !  
**Donna40441**: thank you so much, that really means a lot to me ! I'm sorry for the delay, really am !!! I'll try to behave and be a good girl now :D  
**Royr1177**: thank you :) well then I think you'll have to wait for next chapter to know what really is going to happen ! I hope you'll enjoy this one too though !  
**Bookwormlady** : man I took like 10 minutes to understand that you wrote oh dear like 4 times :D I'm such a moron ^^ Well you might understand later why he did so ... I just hope it won't be ooc.  
**Cbw** : (ptitange99 is ducking) ... jeez, I really suck I knowwww sorryyyyyyyyyyyy !!!  
**Jdragonfire21:** thanks :)  
**TempeJill **: gosh I really hope you're not dead of anticipation ! My rapidity must have killed you already ! :D I hope you had great vacations and that you'll like this chapter !  
**Karaokejunkie**: ohhhh my T ... god I really think you don't deserve this chapter, I've been waiting like FOREVER for you girl ... it's been 2 weeks already ! I hope this chapter will bring you back to me ! (I can't believe I even sang yesterday for you to come back :D)  
**Somnium1**: Thanks ! I really hope too you'll like it ! Thanks for the review though !!!  
****

Chap**ter 9**

Darkness invaded Angela when she opened her eyes. She quickly glanced towards her clock, groaned and focused on returning to the dream she had experienced a few minutes before. **  
**Unfortunately for her, the more she tried to fall back to sleep, the more she felt awake. Something was obviously keeping her up. She straightened in her bed, feeling the cold surface of the wall refresh her back, stared at Hodgins (who didn't seem to have any problem enjoying his night fully), blinked a few times and decided to head for the kitchen.  
She couldn't help but smile thinking that right now, Brennan was certainly already bent over a skull, totally unaware of the exterior world and the fact that human beings needed sleep.  
She took a shower, taking her time to fully wake herself, made time pass faster by reading a People magazine, and then finally decided to head to the Jeffersonian.

When she arrived there, she almost chocked upon discovering that the only person working there was Cam.

« Oh, good morning Angela ! »

« Hi … Isn't Bren there yet ? »

« No, but I think that's a good sign … She'll probably need a little more time to get over the death of … », she swallowed, feeling the tear invade her eyelids. Maybe add something about how stupid she feels, still not being able to say his name after all this time?

« Yeah, you're right ... that's what I was thinking too … I … if you see her, tell her I'm looking for her! »

Cam nodded sadly and Angela headed to her office.

Saying that Booth's death had affected the whole lab was an understatement. Everybody was devastated by his departure, and Angela doubted Brennan would one day accept his death. A few months earlier the two of them had become closer than ever, and Angela couldn't help thinking that if Booth had made it through, they would have been elected "couple of the year" by the lab. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to her face.  
Cam's head appeared at her office's door.

« Angela, I need your help ... someone is waiting for an identification. »

« Alright …» She followed her boss and began to examine the burnt body that had once been the little girl, the mother, the wife of someone. She brushed the thought away and cautiously took the skull in her hands.

« I'll try to give you an answer as soon as possible. »

She was about to leave when she saw a young man approach them.

« I've got a package for the … the director of the victims identification department... uh ... Miss Saroyan?"

"That would be me ..." said a slightly astonished Cam.

« Here you go … if you could just sign here … and here please? »

« Of course … » She quickly signed where he was pointing and hastily took the package.

« Thanks … have a nice one ! »

The delivery guy let himself out, and Cam turned her intrigued face to Angela. The laboratory victim's identification of Vancouver had not asked her for anything recently and there was no official seal on the package.  
She took her scalpel and easily opened the top lid. The only thing she could see was a CD or DVD and a small note.  
She took her latex gloves and began to read the note.

« What does it say ? » asked a curious Angela.

**« Watch the DVD,  
Sincerely yours,  
Rontes »**

Both women looked at each other and quickly stepped in the artist's office. They inserted the DVD into the computer and waited for images to appear. __

« Oh my god! »  


* * *

He slowly opened his eyes, the incessant ring made him unable to do otherwise.

_The choice is yours to make... either you answer, either you go back to sleep! Go back to sleep! _

His hand moved automatically to the phone and brought it to his ear.

"Hodgins ..." he successfully said, his voice full of sleep.

"Jack, we need you ..."

"Angela, hello to you too ..."

« RIGHT NOW! »

The agitated voice of his fiancé woke him up immediately.

« It's Bren … »

« I'll be there in 10 minutes ! »  


* * *

TAP … TAP … TAP … TAP … TAP … TAP …

If only this noise could stop, if only it didn't resonate in her head as if it was empty.  
She slowly opened her eyes and instantly knew where she was. Still curled up on her side, she presumed she had fallen asleep after the men left the room.

Cold ... she was so cold. Her feet were freezing and her tank top certainly wasn't the adequate garment to wear when you get kidnapped.

_Duly noted, now I'll know what to wear next time I get abducted! Stop dreaming Brennan, you'll never get out of here. The case will never be dropped and the evidence never destroyed, and they'll put a bullet in my head before I'll be able to see the sun again.  
Oh come on ... you can get out of here, you'll just have to find a way... _

Despite her body's protests and her sore ribs, she managed to stand up. She slowly wandered around the room but found her unable to uncover anything useful, let alone any information on how to get out. She sighed and let herself slide down the wall to a sitting position.  
She closed her eyes and felt the tear sting her eyelids.

_No Bren, it's not worth it ! __Don't you dare cry because of those bastards, they are not worth it!_

But her inner voice wasn't loud enough and the tears slowly made their way along her cheeks without any way she could stop them.

_How could you do this to me ... how could you abandon me Booth? You promised ..._


End file.
